Monday, July 30, 2012

Powdery Mildew and Giant Pumpkins

Powdery mildew often shows up on giant pumpkin plant leaves in August. It shows up as a white, almost powdery substance on the leaves and if left unchecked can kill you plant. However typically it just consumes the leaves. Once you've got it there is not a way to get rid of it; you can only hope to control it. The best approach to keeping from getting powdery mildew is a combination of the following:

Actinovate - this beneficial organism that comes in a powder has been shown to reduce the incidents of powdery mildew. I used it for the first time last year and I could definetly see a difference.

Milk - a 10% solution of fat free milk mixed with water sprayed over the leaves has been shown to help keep powdery mildew away

Compost tea - the jury is still out on this one but compost tea may help keep powdery mildew away

I sprayed about 1/2 gallon of water with Actinovate in it on all of the leaves of the plant this evening.

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About This Pumpkin Blog

This blog is dedicated to anyone who loves big pumpkins. My entire pumpkin growing season is included on this site along with tips & secrets for gardening. Feel free to post a comment on any article and I will post a reply in that same comment section usually within 24 hours.